Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to set limits for arsenic in food after every rice product tested by her office tested positive for arsenic.
Madigan warns that if rice is something you are eating...

Experts are voicing concerns over arsenic in rice, reports the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. A committee recommends avoiding rice drinks for infants and young children. Currently, the arsenic content of foods is not regulated in the European Union or the United States. No 'safe' level of arsenic can be identified—any exposure may increase health risks.

The inorganic arsenic levels of dietary products used by children should be regulated, according to the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition. The commentary includes the recommendation that "Rice drinks should not be used in infants and young children."

The level of inorganic arsenic in rice depends on the type of rice and where it was grown. Rice has higher arsenic concentrations than other grains because of the unique physiology of the plant and because of the way it's grown, in flooded rice paddies.

High inorganic arsenic concentrations have been found in rice and rice-based foods—mainly concentrated in the bran layers.

You also have people buying rice bran for health as it has been touted as a super food in many articles online, for example, and is found packaged in many health food stores. People put rice bran into numerous home-baked products thinking they're adding healthy nutrition to baked goods such as home-made bran muffins made with rice bran, for example, instead of oat bran.

"Therefore, the risk from consumption of products made from rice bran such as rice drinks is much higher than from raw, but polished (white) rice," the Committee on Nutrition points out, according to the news release.

There's special concern about exposure to arsenic in rice in infants and young children. Because of its availability, nutritional, value and relatively low allergenic potential, rice is a widely used carbohydrate source during weaning. In addition, rice and rice products such as starch, flour, and syrup are commonly added to infant foods and drinks.

"That contributes to high exposure of infants and young children to inorganic arsenic which is two to three times higher than in adults," according to the Committee report. Data are available on arsenic levels in infant foods and rice drinks, but data is limited for rice protein-based infants formulas.

Recommendations to limit exposure to arsenic in rice

Because of these concerns, the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition urges regulation of the inorganic arsenic content of dietary products used by infants and children. Their recommendations state that rice-based formulas "are an option" for infants allergic to cow's milk, but the arsenic content of these products should be declared and considered by doctors and parents.

Otherwise, the Committee recommends avoiding rice drinks for infants and young children. The authors suggest limiting children's exposure to arsenic rice by including a variety of grains in their diets, such as oats, barley, wheat, and maize (corn), in addition to rice.

In areas of the world where rice consumption is very high, the rice types (cultivars) with the lowest arsenic content should be identified and used for the preparation of infant foods. The Committee calls for further research on the inorganic arsenic content of rice and other foods, and its lifelong impact on health. They conclude, "These data will allow the development of evidence-based recommendations regarding the acceptable arsenic content in different foods for infants and children."

The Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition provides a forum for original papers and reviews dealing with pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, including normal and abnormal functions of the alimentary tract and its associated organs, including the salivary glands, pancreas, gallbladder, and liver. Particular emphasis is on development and its relation to infant and childhood nutrition.

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Nutrition, health, and media culture writer, Anne Hart is the author of more than 4,000 online articles, 91 paperback books, including numerous novels, and holds a graduate degree in English/creative writing.

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